I'm P.C., and I have studied food and cooking around the world, mostly by eating, but also through serious study. Coursework at Le Cordon Bleu London and intensive courses in Morocco, Thailand and France have broadened my culinary skill and palate. But my kitchen of choice is at home, cooking like most people, experimenting with unique but practical ideas.

I love this recipe for many reasons. It combines some of my favorite things (sweet caramelized onions and gooey cheese), it never fails to delight guests, and it can be elegant or rustic. This is the kind of recipe that makes me feel like a much more put-together person than I am. I seems to me like the kind of thing you read about in a magazine food story, where the writer has shown up at some gorgeous farmhouse to write about the heirloom produce and the hosts casually bring this out with loafs of crusty bread just out of the wood-fired oven, like its no big deal. It takes a little more effort for me to look that non-chalant. That being said, this dish is a little work for a lot of reward.

There is a lot of flavor packed into this little dish. Let the onions caramelize to a rich, deep, jammy spread. Nutty gruyere and creamy brie make the cheese top layer multi-dimensional. I love the herbal tang of thyme, but marjoram is also a great complement.

Pulse the gruyere in a food processor until it is small crumbs. Scrape the rind from the brie, cut into chunks and add to the food processor with the cream cheese, milk, cornstarch and thyme. Process until you have a thick paste with a little chunky texture. Spread the cheese over the onions in the baking dish to cover evenly. You can now cover the dish and refrigerate for up to two days.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350Â° and bake until goldens and bubbly and warm though, about 20 minutes. Let the dip rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I have always been an avid entertainer. I made a living out of planning parties for awhile. And I have frequently used this clever French trick to transform the bits left over from the cheese plate. Fromage Fort or Lou Cachat are two versions of this bit of culinary trickery which blend all those leftover pieces with a little alcohol to create an utterly new dish. Iâ€™ve seen recipes â€“ or just simple instructions â€“ in French cookbooks both old and new. I started with Lou Cachat, but later discovered Fromage Fort. The difference, as I make it out, is that Lou Cachat is blended with brandy and is traditionally made in Provence with goat cheese. Fromage Fort (â€śstrong cheeseâ€ť) is made from any variety and mixed with white wine. Itâ€™s an old housewivesâ€™ trick, so the variations are endless and as varied as the women who make it. I have seen it with garlic or woody herbs and much more butter, alcohol and olive oil. So experiment and expand as much as you like. This is the blueprint for my house version. I use whatever cheese I have left over â€“ goat, triple cream, hard, blue â€“ thatâ€™s the point, making those random bits last. I prefer Lou Cachat, because I like strong cheese and I think the brandy really adds to the depth of flavor. When I use strong cheese, I donâ€™t bother with garlic or herbs.

I love the idea that the expensive cheese from the Christmas can be a totally new and exciting treat on New Yearâ€™s Eve. I read a Jacques Pepin recipe in which he says his wife makes the Fromage Fort and freezes it packed in little ramekins. That made me love this dish even more. Splash out on the best cheeses you want, because there will be no waste. Serve either as a spread for good crackers or bread, or spread on sliced bread and broil for a starter or a soup sidecar.

Cut the cheese into pieces (harder cheeses need to be cut into smaller pieces). Place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the cheese. Pulse repeatedly until the cheese is broken up to a very rough, chunky paste. Add the brandy while pulsing, then the olive oil until you have a rough paste. Grind in some pepper and pulse to blend. I like mine to have a bit of chunky texture, but you can blend as smooth as you like.

Scrape the cheese into ramekins and refrigerate or freeze.

Serve the cheese at room temperature, or spread it on slices of baguette and broil for a few minutes.

Notes

(In this picture, my Lou Cachat is made with bits of Southern made cheeses â€“ Mountaineer and Appalachian from Meadow Creek Dairy, Asher Blue and Green Hills from Sweet Grass Dairy)

Iâ€™m sticking to my simple comfort food theme here. This recipe is no innovative or new, just simple delicious. Youâ€™ll find similar versions in all sorts of community cookbooks I am sure. Itâ€™s the type of 9 by 13 dessert you might take to a church social or a big family gathering. The cake is delightfully moist and hearty with a nice caramel undertone. The topping adds sweetness and crunch, but I promise is not overwhelmingly coconutty. Cut this in small pieces to serve a big crowd or big slabs with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a comforting, filling dessert. I bet someone you serve it too will have a memory of something similar in from his or her childhood.

Preheat the oven to 350Â°. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray (I like Bakerâ€™s Joy for baking).

Put the oats in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave the oats to soak for 20 minutes.

Cream the butter and both sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until completely incorporated, scrapiing down the bowl as needed. Beat in the soaked oats until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 30 minutes, until the top is just beginning firm.

For the Frosting

Make the frosting while the cake is baking, put the butter, brown sugar and cream in a medium saucepan and heat over medium, just until the butter melts. Remove from the heat. A gew minutes before the cake timer goes off, bring the mixture to a boil over medium high heat and boil for 1 minutes. Stir in the coconut and pecans until well combined. Take the cake out of the oven and pour and spread the frosting over the top. The frosting will be thick, just do you best to spread it out. Donâ€™t worry about evenly covering the cake, or if some of the cake seems to pull up and mix with the frosting. The end result is a fabulous concoction of cake and gooey frosting.

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 12 â€“ 15 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notes

I particularly like the cake served slightly warm, but it is equally delicious at room temperature, and leftovers make a delicious breakfast, room temperature or lightly warmed.

I was first drawn to this recipe, because, well, who could resist something called sugar cake. It reminds me of the great classic song â€śTea for Twoâ€ť, the Ella Fitzgerald version is on my kitchen playlist. â€śDay will break and I will wake, and start to bake a sugar cake, for you to take for all the boys to see.â€ť Recipes for Sugar Cake are scattered through community cookbooks, mostly a version called Moravian Sugar Cake, which involves yeast. But I came across this simple version and had to try it. It is dense and tender and beautifully yellow, with that thick, chewy crust so perfect on a moist loaf cake. I sprinkle the top with sugar to create a crackly sweet bite.

Simple cakes like this are the perfect vehicle for summerâ€™s fresh berries. A simple tumble of blueberries with some lightly sweet whipped cream would be lovely, but I love pulling together the fruit and herbs of summer. This basil-scented blueberry compote is not too sweet, and lets the flavor of the berries really shine.

Beat the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer until lemon yellow, then add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and salt alternately with the cream, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla until you have a smooth, thick batter. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle about 1 Tablespoon sugar evenly over the top of the batter.

Bake the cake for 50 minutes to an hour, until a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it. Cover the top loosely with foil when it starts to brown. Cool the cake in the pan.

For the Compote

Place the blueberries, honey and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir well, and cook until the berries are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Mash the berries with a fork and cook until the compote is thickened and reduced. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil leaves. Leave to cool, then remove the basil leaves. Refrigerate the compote until ready to use. It will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Quick, summery and simple. This is the perfect passable bite for a party or a wonderful side to a summer meal. If you tend to end up with a couple of extra zucchini hanging around after a trip to the farmers market, this is a great way to use them up, as a starter or a snack. Serve these while still warm, but you can make the mayonnaise mix hours ahead and prepare the slices about 20 minutes before broiling. And of course, you can double or triple the recipe for a crowd.

I do love a good chicken salad, and I am always working on new and different versions. This Asian inspired iteration relies on the wonderful sesame mayonnaise, a recipe I used for years when I first started entertaining, as a dip for asparagus spears or snap peas. I started making it when Asian ingredients like sesame oil and rice vinegar werenâ€™t as readily available as they are now, so it always struck a note of the exotic. Iâ€™ve kept that recipe on one of those personalized recipe cards that used to be such popular hostess gifts. I returned to the mayonnaise recipe recently and realized how incredibly versatile it is. I whipped up a little cold chicken supper with leftovers from the fridge, and it was such a good idea, I had to turn it into a summery chicken salad recipe.

Serve this chicken salad in lettuce cups with lime wedges to squeeze over it. I also like it scooped up with rice crackers.

This will make more mayonnaise than you need. Toss it with cold rice or ramen noodles for a lovely side dish, spread it on a bahn-mi style sandwich. Itâ€™s a different twist for a burger or a chicken sandwich. Try it with roasted asparagus or steamed snap peas. Iâ€™ve even served this as a dip for grilled shrimp.

Place the egg, egg yolks, soy sauce, vinegar, mustard and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process until the ingredients are combined. With the motor running, drizzle in the sesame and vegetable oils in a slow, steady stream. Process until the mixture is creamy, thick and emulsified. You will actually hear the food processor change sounds from smooth blending to a wet slapping sound.

When the mayonnaise is thick, scrape it into a container, cover it tightly and refrigerate for at least two hours to firm up and allow the flavors to meld.

For the Salad

Preheat the oven to 400Â°. Lightly salt the chicken breasts and place on a baking tray. Roast for about 20 â€“ 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165Â°). Let the chicken cool to room temperature, then pull of the skin, pull the meat from the bones and shred into a bowl, either using two forks or your fingers.

Add the carrots, green onions, peanuts, cilantro and mint to the chicken in the bowl and toss to combine. Add 1 cup of the sesame mayonnaise and stir to coat.

The chicken salad will keep, covered, in the fridge for a few days. The mayonnaise will keep, covered, for 4 days.

I do love a good stuffed egg. They are always stuffed eggs, never devilled eggs in my family. I do, however, like them simple. I push the boat out a little with my fabulous Pimento Cheese Stuffed Eggs, but I really want the primary flavor to be egg. Highlighted by fresh herbs, a little mustard, but never masking rich, lovely, creamy egg yolk. I have recently seen a slew of recipe pages offering 50 devilled egg recipes, everything from buffalo wing to pulled pork to Korean barbecue. Not for me.

This recipe uses softened butter, which highlights the creamy taste and texture of egg yolks. I like to beat this with an electric mixer rather than smashing them with a fork so, with a little touch of mayonnaise, you really get a smooth, velvety filling. A little tang from lemon zest and mustard and mystery from a touch of celery salt all highlight the egg without masking its flavor.

Place the eggs in a large pan and cover with water by about an inch. Place over high heat and when the water comes to a boil, cook the eggs for seven minutes. Fill a bowl with ice and cold water and set in the sink. When the seven minutes are up, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Leave to cool for 45 minutes.

When the eggs are cooled, roll them on the counter to crack the shells all over and peel. Rinse with cool water to remove any stray shell pieces and pat dry.

Cut the eggs in half (wipe your knife on a paper towel before each egg so yolk doesnâ€™t get on the white) and gently scoop the yolks into the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the empty whites on a tray or stuffed egg plate. Add the softened butter and mayonnaise to the yolks and beat until everything is broken up and rough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the dill, lemon zest, nustard and celery salt and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently. Add salt to taste.

Scoop fill the center indentions of the whites with the filling. Cover and refrigerate the eggs. To avoid plastic wrap touching your beautifully filled eggs, store these in a 9 x 13 storage container with a snap on top or a deep baking dish covered with plastic or foil. These are best made the day you are serving, but can be made a day before and kept covered in the fridge.

Strawberry season was a bit slow to come this year, but I am now gorging myself on the in-season fruit and finding all sorts of ways to incorporate the ruby gems in my cooking. And this is a new favorite. It combines the flavor of beautiful local fruits and memories of England, and anything that can do that makes me happy. Lemon curd has always felt like a luxury food to me. It was a fancy British import, sold in little jars and not readily available in Memphis. In fact, when I first started travelling to England, I probably brought jars back for my mother and grandmother as little gifts. Eventually I learned that lemon curd is pretty easy to make at home, and so much fresher and better, which led to the obvious experimentation with curds of other flavors. And I think strawberry may be my favorite. Itâ€™s a lovely pink color and bursts with strawberry flavor. Strawberry curd is wonderful spread on toast or good English muffins. Or the full English, on a tender scone. It makes a wonderful filling for a cake. I decided to pair it here with these delicate little almond cookies because it makes a lovely and interesting dessert. Iâ€™ve scooped the curd into little 4 ounce Mason jars and placed it on a plate surrounded by cookies as a nifty little individual sweet. It also works as a dip for a spring shower or brunch.

Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside close to the stovetop. Puree the strawberries in a blender until very smooth.

Pour the strawberry puree into a medium sauce pan and add the sugar, citrus zest and juice (about ÂĽ cup juice). Whisk to blend and add the butter pieces. Beat the eggs well in a small bowl, then whisk them into the strawberry mixture until combined. Place over medium heat and stir constantly until the butter is melted. (itâ€™s best to switch to a heatproof spatula here to be able to scrape the sides and reach the edges of the pan). Continue cooking until the curd is thickened, about 6- 8 minutes., stirring constantly. Scrape the curd immediately into the strainer set over the bowl. Push the curd through the strainer to remove any cooked egg or lumps. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the surface of the curd and refrigerate until cold, at least two hours. Transfer to an airtight container. The curd will keep refrigerated up to a week.

Makes 2 Â˝ cups

Almond Cookies

Preheat the oven to 400Â°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined. Beat in the almond meal and almond extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, until the dough comes together.

Roll the dough into small balls, about the size of a pecan, and place about Â˝ inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Lightly dampen your fingers and slightly flatten the cookies. Bake for 6 â€“ 8 minutes, until the bottoms of the cookies are golden and the tops are firm. Remove the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Creamy artichoke dip has long been a staple a parties and gatherings. Lots of mayonnaise and marinated artichoke hearts and gooey cheese. It has never been a favorite of mine, because it is so rich and always tastes more of mayonnaise than anything else. I set out to create a dish everyone would be intrigued by, but surprised to find it veered so from the classic. Iâ€™ve seen recipes pairing artichokes and goat cheese, but wanted to add a lot of tang to complement the artichokes. Goat cheese, lemon, capers and yogurt give this spread body and zip, with the added herbs for layered flavors.

I prefer using frozen artichoke hearts that have not been marinated or brined to keep their flavor up front. This spread is so easy to prepare but gives such complex results itâ€™s a real party trick. It is wonderful spread on toasted baguette slices, but it can be dipped with hearty chips. Itâ€™s good spread on a bagel too.

Cook the artichoke hearts according to the package directions. Drain and leave to cool.

Place the artichoke hearts, garlic, herbs and capers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times to break everything up. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and spreadable. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Scrape the spread into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to meld. Serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

Two of my very favorite Southern ingredients are creamy buttermilk and pig.Â So, I just couldnâ€™t resist adding the salty crunch of bacon to a classic, tender buttermilk cookie.Â Swirling on a bourbon-y version of classic caramel icing makes this a real Southern overload cookie.

I created this recipe several years ago for a party.Â I wanted to combine my favorite flavors for a snazzy, different sweet. And at the time, bacon in dessert was unusual. Since then, bacon has turned up everywhere â€“ in donuts, chocolate, cocktails, potato chips.Â I understand there is even an alarm app for your phone and a small attachment that wakes you with the wafting smell of bacon.Â Then you can put on some bacon lip balm, grab your bacon – painted purse and meet the world.Â So I have had this recipe in my files, thinking maybe I didnâ€™t want to get mixed up with the bacon insanity.Â But I had a request and made these again and they are worth sharing.

Buttermilk Bacon Cookies with Bourbon Caramel Frosting

8 strips bacon

Â˝ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

Â˝ teaspoon baking soda

Â˝ teaspoon salt

Â˝ cup buttermilk

For the frosting:

3 Tablespoons butter

ÂĽ cup heavy cream

Â˝ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tablespoons bourbon

1 cup confectionersâ€™ sugar

Preheat the oven to 350Â°.

Cook the bacon on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet until very crispy.Â Pat dry with paper towels and leave to cool.Â Chop 6 strips of the bacon finely with a sturdy knife and set aside. Reserve the remaining bacon for garnish.

Beat the butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, a good three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.Â Add the egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined.Â Add the flour, baking soda and salt alternately with buttermilk, scraping down the sides of the bowl and ending with a buttermilk addition.Â Add the chopped bacon and beat until combined.

Line two rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop mounds of dough an inch apart onto the paper. I use a 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop.Â Bake the cookies for 8 â€“ 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets from top shelf to bottom once, until the cookies are golden around the edges, puffed and firm.Â Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the frosting:

Combine the butter, cream, brown sugar and bourbon in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.Â Continue stirring, and cook for 2 minutes.Â Set aside to cool, then beat in the confectionersâ€™ sugar until smooth and spreadable.Â Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies.Â Break the remaining slices of bacon into small pieces and embed them into the frosting if youâ€™d like.